Two Baltimores: The White L vs. the Black Butterfly

By Lawrence Brown

Baltimore is a city that is hypersegregated into two parts. Because of 105 years of racist policies and practices, Baltimore’s hypersegregated neighborhoods experience radically different realities. Due to this dynamic, the white neighborhoods on the map that form the shape of an 'L' accumulate structured advantages, while Black neighborhoods, shaped in the form of a butterfly, accumulate structured disadvantages. Baltimore’s hypersegregation is the root cause of racial inequity, crime, health inequities/disparities, and civil unrest. (Lawrence Brown)

Lawrence Brown is the grandson of sharecroppers who lived in the Mississippi Delta and an assistant professor at Morgan State University in the School of Community Health and Policy. He tweets as @bmoredoc.

The White L vs. The Black Butterfly (Courtesy/Lawrence Brown)

The majority of the city's tax increment financing is inside the White L.